The sides also agreed to move as quickly as possible to provide Ukraine with 45 billion euros for 2027 under the Ukraine Support Loan program.
European Pravda, which also reviewed the statement, said Ukraine would receive the funds if it meets the established conditions. At the same time, the EU and Kyiv will begin assessing additional funding needs for the state budget and defense.
The document also emphasized the responsibility of other partners.
“All parties agreed that other partners must also fulfill their financial commitments and step up their efforts in light of the significant challenges Ukraine faces,” the statement said.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the outcome of talks with the European Commission as positive. He said the sides had agreed on the format, timeline and steps needed to fully cover Ukraine’s needs in 2026 and 2027. Kyiv and Brussels will coordinate the work monthly going forward.
“Coordination must be constant,” Zelenskyy said.
He thanked European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and other European partners.
Defense budget shortfall
The government acknowledged a funding shortfall for the military this summer.
On Aug. 24, following a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing, Zelenskyy said Ukraine faced a $27 billion shortfall in its defense budget. Five days later, Defense Minister Yevhenii Khmara cited the same figure but said his ministry already had options for addressing the gap.
Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi said Aug. 9 that the government and Finance Ministry were seeking additional resources to fully fund the Defense Forces through the end of the year.
On Sept. 1, he introduced strict spending cuts across all nondefense expenditures.
On Sept. 25, Koretskyi said the government planned to cover part of the shortfall through domestic sources by reallocating funds within existing programs. He said the government expected EU support to cover the remainder.